Process of making motor fuel



PATENT OFFICE.

KARL P. MOELROY, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOR OFONE-HALF TO ALFRED M. HOUGHTON, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ANDONE- HALF TO RICHARD FRANCHOT, OF NIAGARA FALLS, NEW YORK.

PROCESS OF MAKING MOTOR No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, KARL P. McELRoY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Processes of Making Motor Fuel,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a process of making motor fuel; and itcomprises a method wherein acetylene. is passed through an acidsolution, usually containing mercury, at a temperature of about 70 C. toconvert a portion, but not all of it, into acetaldehyde and the mixtureof acetaldehyde vapor and acetylene, after drying is directly compressedinto liquid form; all as more fully hereinafter set forth and asclaimed. I Y

Acetylene, C H is one of the'best known fuels for internal combustionengines but it is not used in practice because of the difliculty anddanger of liquefaction and storage in tanks. Acetylene requires apressure of about 500 or 600 pounds, to keep it in the liquid form atordinary atmospheric temperatures; and when so compressed in liquid formit is apt to explode. By passing acetylene through a solution containingsulfuric acid or phosphoric acid of moderate strength and maintained atabout 70 centigrade,

some of the acetylene takes up water and becomes acetaldehyde; the (1 H,reacting with H O-to form C H O. The action is much facilitated by thepresence of mercury salts. The reaction is one well known for makingacetaldehyde. It is, however, difficult to convert more than a portionof the acetylene in a single passage through the liquid. In makingacetaldehyde the mixture of excess acetylene and acetaldehyde comingfrom the acid liquid is scrubbed with water to recover the aldehyde, andthe acetylene is returned for another treatment. The acetaldehyde isrecovered from the water solution by appropriate distillation. As itsboiling point is very low (about 21 C.) condensation offers somedifiiculty. The acetaldehyde so recovered can be used as a motor fuelbut the expense of recovering it from the acetylene-acetaldehyde mix-Application filed April 5, 1922. Serial No. 549,876.

ture adds considerably to its cost; and moreover'it is not'nearly asgood a fuel as the original acetylene this being for the simple reasonthat it practically represents a hydrated acetylene. For the presentpurpose it may be regarded as a combination of acetylene and water. i

I have found that 1f the usual method of,

making acetaldehyde be employed and in lieu of attempting to recover theacetaldehyde, the effluent mixture of acetylene and acetaldehyde bedirectly cooled to dry itand then compressed, it is possible to make anexcellent motor fuel with a cheap and simple apparatus. A littleacetaldehyde has a relatively enormous influence in facilitating thecondensation of acetylene by pressure; and the liquefied acetylenecontaining acetaldehyde is not self-explosive. The compressed llqflldproduct being mainly acetylene is big ly desirable as a motor fuel.

What I claim is l 1. The process of making a motor fuel which comprisespassing acetylene through an acid solution in order to convert part butnot all of it intoacetaldehyde, drying the mixture of acetylene andacetaldehyde to remove water .vapor and directlyv compressing into a liuid.

2. The process 0 making a motor fuel which comprises passing acetylenethrough an acid solution containing mercury in order to convert part butnot all of it into acetaldehyde, drying the mixture of acetylene andacetaldehyde to remove water vapor and directly compressing into aliquid.

3. In methodsof treating acetylene for the purpose of hydration toaldehyde by K. P. MoELROY.

